Fall Into Bulb Mania

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Sarah L. Ivy

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Photo Credit: Bryce H. Lane

Use daffodils in a planter to brighten up an otherwise dull corner of your garden.

Beach bums beware – fall is coming, and winter’s not far behind. But rather than sink into a gloomy mood over the end of summer, sink a few bulbs into the ground to set the stage for a beautiful, blooming spring! Everyone looks forward to the first flowers peeking through the ground (sometimes even poking up through the snow) to let us know that the new season’s arrived. And to enjoy our favorite springtime bulbs like daffodils, tulips and hyacinths, we’ve got to get ’em in the ground in fall.

Autumn is the ideal time to purchase and plant bulbs. And to get the best results, you’ve got to know what to look for. First and foremost, they must be firm. And don’t forget – size matters! The size and number of flowers is directly related to the bigness of the bulb: The larger the bulb, the larger the flower. Don’t worry about loose skins (tunics), because they may actually help the bulb root better. Plus, you can inspect the bulb more thoroughly for disease. So don’t be shy when pillaging through that bin of bulbs at your garden center. Grab the biggest, firmest ones you can!

Then get ready to plant.

It’s best to get your bulbs in the ground when soil temperatures fall below 60 degrees F. In my neck of the woods (North Carolina), this is often around late October or November. The farther north you live, the earlier you can safely plant.

Why is fall the best time to plant? Turns out, it’s just another cool plant fact of life. Many bulbs develop their root system in the fall and do so by accumulating chilling hours. I won’t go into detail, but basically the bulb must spend so many hours below a certain temperature in order to produce a flower. Isn’t that wild?!

Facts

If too much rain or other bad weather interferes with your fall bulb planting, don’t worry. You can plant your bulbs late, as long as the ground’s not frozen solid. Just expect your bulbs to make their debut a little later in spring.
Don’t ground all your bulbs. Many work great in planters, too!

Tips

When it comes to getting the best spring blooms, get out early in fall for the best bulb selection. The bigger, the better – just make sure they’re firm (not soft or mushy).
The more you know about the bulbs you want to plant, the better you can orchestrate their bloom times. For example, since daffodils generally bloom before tulips, you can plant your bulbs accordingly, so that your blooming tulips cover up the fading foliage of your daffodils.

Tools

You can buy special bulb planters to help you achieve the correct plating depth for your bulbs. But if you’re not interested in adding more tools to your shed, a simple hand trowel will do the trick.

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Setting appropriate goals and buying the bulbs that are right for your growing conditions will make the job of gardening with bulbs a simple and enjoyable passion.

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Your bulbs may be snug underground, but they still need to be cared for before they pop up in spring. Learn how to keep your bulbs safe before they bloom.
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